Don Hale Blog

*Pictured above - Stuart Culverhouse was on song to lead the team home. Stuart Culverhouse led the Road Runners home at Conwy parkrun...plus other results. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   It was another bumper turn-out at Conwy parkrun last Saturday on a bright, sunny, but crisp morning, with the usual array of visiting club and social runners. Stuart Culverhouse  led home a team of fifteen  North Wales Road Runners  finishing 8th overall and he won his VM50 age cat in 20 minutes and 20 seconds. He was followed by  Steve Roberts  who also won his new VM60-64 age cat, as he celebrated his 60th birthday on the day in 26th place in 22.29. Jamie Tharme  looked back to his old-self again with a solid run in 39th place in 23.33, and master vet  Sandy Johnston  seemed to make a speedy recovery from last week’s  Chester Marathon , finishing well in 58th, and he also won his VM70 age cat in 2...

North Wales Cross Country League 2024/25: Latest updates with fixtures and opportunity to run in the Welsh Inter-regional XC champs... Report and photos courtesy of Bernie Jones, NW XCL secretary. LAST CALL: The first North Wales Cross Country League fixture starts at Eirias Park, Colwyn Bay, tomorrow (Saturday 5th October), with junior races starting at 10-30am (Under 15 Boys) and the Senior races starting as usual at 1pm. We are still outstanding team lists from a small number of clubs and the first fixture is on Saturday. Please give us a chance to prepare your numbers in advance.  PLEASE can the following clubs, if they intend competing this year, provide their team sheets to me asap: Deeside AC - juniors & seniors Menai T&F - juniors & seniors Cybi - seniors Prestatyn RC - juniors? & seniors West Cheshire - juniors & seniors Wrekin - seniors   *For ease I've attached the link to the team sheets below:   JUNIORS https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/...

The Eirias Triathlon and Duathlon -  New 2025 event for Always Aim High... https://alwaysaimhighevents.com/ Latest news and updates:  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   We are thrilled to announce the addition of a new pool triathlon and duathlon to our 2025 event calendar: the  Eirias Triathlon and Duathlon.   Traditionally, our season kicks off with the  Harlech Sprint Triathlon and Duathlon , a beloved event in the town of Harlech for over 20 years. However, following the closure of the Harlech pool earlier this year, the event will no longer be able to take place there.   Tim Lloyd ,  Managing Director at Always Aim High Events said : "While we are sad to bid farewell to the Harlech Sprint Triathlon after many successful years working alongside the Harlech Triathlon Club, we are excited to introduce another early-season pool swim to our portfolio.    “ Eirias Park  has long been considered the perfect location, already home to a...

*Pictured above - Master veteran  Alan Davies may have set a new world record at the Swansea Bay 10k race. Alan Davies set out to break a new M70 World Record at the Swansea Bay 10k... Report by David Gibson. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   The Swansea Bay 10k is a well-loved event that has been going nearly as long as the London Marathon, and the 2024 set of races held on Sunday 15th September was the 43rd edition. Unlike last year which was wet, the weather this year was good for running with only a bit of a south westerly breeze working against the runners on the outward leg. Whilst the 10k race is the headline element of the day, there are also other races encouraging all members of families to take part. These are a 1k for youngsters seven and under; a 1k for 8 to 11-year-olds, a 3k for older children, and a 10k wheelchair race, which was won by Owain Terrell of Disability Sports Wales in a time of 31:05. The main 10k race saw ...

Welsh Masters Athletics Ltd - latest half-marathon and marathon records 2024. These are the latest updates to the records from WMAL provided by Brett Davis and Chris Pruski for Welsh Masters athletes in the half-marathon and full marathon events. If anyone has any queries or other updates please contact:  cpppruski@hotmail.com https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk

*Pictured above - Steve Gardener at the World Masters champs in Sweden. Steve Gardner smashes 800m Welsh Masters record at World Masters Athletics champs in Sweden. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com North Wales Road Runner, Welsh Master, and Team GB track athlete Steve Gardner smashed his own previous best record time in the 800m event during the World Masters Athletics Championships in Sweden last week with an improved time to set a new Welsh Masters Athletics record. Competing on the track in Bjorlanda, Sweden, on 15th August, for Team GB, the M60 veteran ran home in 2 minutes 22.26 seconds. He was also the 3rd British athlete and the 1st Welshman, finishing 23rd overall based on the times over seven heats. There were 72 starters.  And in the 1500m held over the past few days, he recorded another excellent PB finishing in 5.07.05, in 24th place overall, as the 4th British athlete, and once again he was understood to be the 1st Welshman. There were 57 starters o...

North Wales Cross Country League 2024/25: Registration details and notice of change of venues for races: - Report courtesy of Bernie Jones, secretary.   The 2024/25 Cross Country Season is just around the corner. Clubs are asked to register athletes wishing to compete in the League using the forms on the North Wales Cross Country website:   Senior Registration: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.northwalesxc.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F08%2FSenior-Athlete-Registration-NWCCL-2024-25.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK   Junior Registration: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.northwalesxc.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F08%2FJunior-Athlete-Registration-NWCCL-2024-25.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK   Forms should be e mailed to me: Bernie-jones@sky.com Clubs are also reminded   that league fees (£100 per club for seniors and £50 for juniors) are payable by at the latest before the start of the seco...

*There was a great turnout of runners, friends, and supporters of John Dalzell on the promenade at Llandudno last Saturday night for a special tribute run. Dozens of runners pay tribute to John Dalzell at a special 5k social event on Llandudno promenade. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   Dozens of runners and supporters from the North Wales Road Running Club, Dalzell Runners, and from numerous other local running groups, and individuals, took part in a non-competitive 5k run last Saturday night in memory of their colleague and friend John Dalzell, who tragically lost his life twelve-months ago. Event organisers Jonathan Kettle , and Tony Price-Jones , aided by several others, staged a pleasant social run in his honour, with most runners wearing a special yellow t-shirt and shared their own personal memories of this popular athlete, before later raising a glass to John at the Llandudno Bay Hotel. *Pictured above and below - runners, friends, and  supporters...

*Road Runner Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts is pictured above in the finish area. Good performance by Llyr in Australia during the World Sprint Duathlon championships... Report by Don Hale https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   Welsh Master and GB international athlete Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts celebrated an outstanding performance last Friday in the World Sprint Duathlon championships in Australia and just missed out on a top podium place. The North Wales Road Runner who has been training hard all year – despite some unexpected health problems of late – was delighted to be offered this unique opportunity to represent his country in such a major competition. And on Friday, he recorded some excellent times during his run-bike-run event, which attracted dozens of world class elite athletes to Townsville, a coastal city in North-East Queensland. Staged towards the end of the winter season in Australia, the weather proved to be unusually warm for this championship race, but Llyr still recorded a fast...

Over 250 runners Raced the Highland Train over a fast 5k downhill course from Dinas to Caernarfon... Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk *Pictured (l-r): Mandy Preece (Porth Eirias Runners) with Mal Preece (NWRRC), and (*right) Hannah Griffith, Gwen Charlton and Vicky Taylor, all shown at the Race the Train event at Caernarfon.   A pleasant 5k dash on a humid summer evening proved just the ticket for over 250 mixed ability athletes last Wednesday night as they opted to Race the Train from Dinas railway station back to the terminus at Caernarfon. This was the 24th annual event featuring this exciting race which involved taking a train load of runners and their supporters out from Caernarfon station to the first stop at Dinas on the 7.30pm special express, with entrants then disembarking in readiness for a quick run back to town in a determined effort to beat the mighty Highland loco and train back! This is always a very popular race, ...